BOYS SOCCER PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Forest senior Jimmy Wear leads team in historic season

Published: Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, March 29, 2013 at 4:09 p.m.

Chemistry can be a slippery notion.

Facts

BOYS SOCCER PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jimmy Wear: The Forest senior forward was at the center of the best postseason soccer run for a boys program in Marion County history, guiding the Wildcats to the state semifinals with team highs in goals (20) and assists (20).
For first and second teams and honorable mention, see below.

There’s no real formula when it comes to getting the proper players and coaches together for that special season, but everyone seems to recognize it when it happens.

Such was the case for this year’s Forest High School boys soccer team, which proceeded to rewrite the record books on its way to the Class 4A final four. It was the deepest postseason run for any county boys soccer team, and it broke an 0-for-10 all-time regional record for the Wildcats.

Stranger still is the fact that there were almost no new faces on the field for Forest, while the coaching staff — made up of first-year twentysomethings Knox Strawbridge, Matt Gilman and Robert Gilman — was without any high school coaching experience.

Yet somehow the ‘Cats breezed through their first 25 matches without a loss and came within an eyelash of playing for the 4A state title. Only a heartbreaking double overtime 4-3 loss to Steinbrenner disrupted the fairy-tale season.

Senior forward Jimmy Wear, who led the team in both goals (20) and assists (20) en route to claiming the Star-Banner boys soccer player of the year award, says those closest to the program knew there was something special right from the start.

“I knew for sure this year was going to be different from the beginning of the season,” Wear said. “But the second we won our district final against Vanguard, I knew we were gonna go pretty far. I just had that good feeling. I didn’t think anyone could stop us.

“We had great chemistry with the coaches. They believed in what we could do, and we believed in what we could do.”

Wear and his teammates set the new standard for a soccer program that had been a county presence for years, but had never won a meaningful game outside of district play.

Keepers Lex Craggs and Morgan Werner, with the help of a fast, aggressive back line defense, posted 21 shutouts and allowed just four goals all season before the ill-fated trip to Lutz.

Offensively, Wear was joined by center midfielder Jackie Kay, who ranked second on the team with 16 goals, and younger brother Jesse Wear (9 goals) as the ‘Cats outscored the opposition 84-8 on the year.

■ ■ ■

The 23 wins were the most ever by a Wildcat team and there were plenty of heroes during the course of the historic season. But Strawbridge, a 23-year-old former FHS soccer standout himself, pointed to Jimmy Wear’s unselfish play and ability to finish as the true catalyst of a senior-laden squad.

“I think Jimmy played more than half the positions on the field this year for us,” Strawbridge explained. “He is talented, so he kind of fits in all over the place. He definitely carried our offense. If Jimmy’s finishing it doesn’t matter who we’re playing, we’ve got a pretty solid chance of pummeling anybody.

“If he’s a little bit off, then it’s going to be a longer night. We’ve got a number of other guys who can step up, but at the same time, he was definitely our go-to guy when it came to putting balls in the back of the net.”

Wear, who assisted Jesse for the lone goal in a 1-0 overtime win against Niceville in the region final, says he was more pleased with his growth as a passer.

“That was a really good one,” Jimmy said of his crisp pass to a streaking Jesse. “We’ll probably always remember that one.

“I felt like I was more of a target man; more of a playmaker. I gave up the ball a lot to my teammates for goals this year.”

Strawbridge agrees, saying it was his star player’s willingness to get his teammates involved that made him a complete player, and made Forest nearly impossible to defend.

“Goals are great, but anybody can score goals,” Strawbridge said. “But how much better do you make the guys around you? When great players step on the court they elevate the play of their teammates. Jimmy did that for us. He was the key for us getting up the field and scoring a bunch of goals.”

Wear says none of it would have been possible without a supporting cast that decided to make this season a special one almost as soon as last year’s ended prematurely.

“We had a core group of guys who were really committed,” Wear said. “We talked about it all summer long. We said ‘next year, we’re going to states.’ We stuck with it, and because of that, we brought everyone together and just stepped it up.

“We all knew what we could do. We all knew what we were capable of accomplishing. We ended up getting right underneath our (ultimate) goal, but we did end up making Forest soccer history.”

■ ■ ■

For both coach and player, the 2013 season is one neither will soon forget. But both also understand that the bar has been raised exponentially for a program that is suddenly a factor on the state’s soccer scene.

All of which is fine with Strawbridge, who plans to continue the Wildcats’ assault on the record books when he returns next season. And he’s hoping Forest’s success will breed more success across the county he grew up in.

“It means a ton to Ocala, and obviously it means a lot to Forest,” Strawbridge said. “There’s a level of expectation around here now. I’m hoping that it speaks to the 7th-, 8th- and 9th-graders, letting them know this is what we’re trying to do around here now. Nobody wants to be the worst, everybody wants to be the best. So it kind of challenges the younger guys, letting them know that there’s a level that we can reach, and it’s doable because I saw these guys do it this year.”

Wear, who is still juggling college offers, expects big things from the underclassmen next season.

“I know my brother (Jesse) still has another year, and I’ve got another brother who is coming up next year,” he said. “Hopefully they can achieve what we didn’t achieve, which is win a state title.

“This season definitely kicked down the door. Now everyone is going to think: yeah, Forest can definitely do it. We went to the final four this year, so they can probably go further next year.”

<p>Chemistry can be a slippery notion. </p><p>There's no real formula when it comes to getting the proper players and coaches together for that special season, but everyone seems to recognize it when it happens.</p><p>Such was the case for this year's Forest High School boys soccer team, which proceeded to rewrite the record books on its way to the Class 4A final four. It was the deepest postseason run for any county boys soccer team, and it broke an 0-for-10 all-time regional record for the Wildcats.</p><p>Stranger still is the fact that there were almost no new faces on the field for Forest, while the coaching staff — made up of first-year twentysomethings Knox Strawbridge, Matt Gilman and Robert Gilman — was without any high school coaching experience.</p><p>Yet somehow the 'Cats breezed through their first 25 matches without a loss and came within an eyelash of playing for the 4A state title. Only a heartbreaking double overtime 4-3 loss to Steinbrenner disrupted the fairy-tale season. </p><p>Senior forward Jimmy Wear, who led the team in both goals (20) and assists (20) en route to claiming the Star-Banner boys soccer player of the year award, says those closest to the program knew there was something special right from the start.</p><p>“I knew for sure this year was going to be different from the beginning of the season,” Wear said. “But the second we won our district final against Vanguard, I knew we were gonna go pretty far. I just had that good feeling. I didn't think anyone could stop us.</p><p>“We had great chemistry with the coaches. They believed in what we could do, and we believed in what we could do.”</p><p>Wear and his teammates set the new standard for a soccer program that had been a county presence for years, but had never won a meaningful game outside of district play. </p><p>Keepers Lex Craggs and Morgan Werner, with the help of a fast, aggressive back line defense, posted 21 shutouts and allowed just four goals all season before the ill-fated trip to Lutz.</p><p>Offensively, Wear was joined by center midfielder Jackie Kay, who ranked second on the team with 16 goals, and younger brother Jesse Wear (9 goals) as the 'Cats outscored the opposition 84-8 on the year.</p><p>■ ■ ■</p><p>The 23 wins were the most ever by a Wildcat team and there were plenty of heroes during the course of the historic season. But Strawbridge, a 23-year-old former FHS soccer standout himself, pointed to Jimmy Wear's unselfish play and ability to finish as the true catalyst of a senior-laden squad.</p><p>“I think Jimmy played more than half the positions on the field this year for us,” Strawbridge explained. “He is talented, so he kind of fits in all over the place. He definitely carried our offense. If Jimmy's finishing it doesn't matter who we're playing, we've got a pretty solid chance of pummeling anybody. </p><p>“If he's a little bit off, then it's going to be a longer night. We've got a number of other guys who can step up, but at the same time, he was definitely our go-to guy when it came to putting balls in the back of the net.”</p><p>Wear, who assisted Jesse for the lone goal in a 1-0 overtime win against Niceville in the region final, says he was more pleased with his growth as a passer.</p><p>“That was a really good one,” Jimmy said of his crisp pass to a streaking Jesse. “We'll probably always remember that one.</p><p>“I felt like I was more of a target man; more of a playmaker. I gave up the ball a lot to my teammates for goals this year.”</p><p>Strawbridge agrees, saying it was his star player's willingness to get his teammates involved that made him a complete player, and made Forest nearly impossible to defend.</p><p>“Goals are great, but anybody can score goals,” Strawbridge said. “But how much better do you make the guys around you? When great players step on the court they elevate the play of their teammates. Jimmy did that for us. He was the key for us getting up the field and scoring a bunch of goals.”</p><p>Wear says none of it would have been possible without a supporting cast that decided to make this season a special one almost as soon as last year's ended prematurely.</p><p>“We had a core group of guys who were really committed,” Wear said. “We talked about it all summer long. We said 'next year, we're going to states.' We stuck with it, and because of that, we brought everyone together and just stepped it up.</p><p>“We all knew what we could do. We all knew what we were capable of accomplishing. We ended up getting right underneath our (ultimate) goal, but we did end up making Forest soccer history.”</p><p>■ ■ ■</p><p>For both coach and player, the 2013 season is one neither will soon forget. But both also understand that the bar has been raised exponentially for a program that is suddenly a factor on the state's soccer scene.</p><p>All of which is fine with Strawbridge, who plans to continue the Wildcats' assault on the record books when he returns next season. And he's hoping Forest's success will breed more success across the county he grew up in.</p><p>“It means a ton to Ocala, and obviously it means a lot to Forest,” Strawbridge said. “There's a level of expectation around here now. I'm hoping that it speaks to the 7th-, 8th- and 9th-graders, letting them know this is what we're trying to do around here now. Nobody wants to be the worst, everybody wants to be the best. So it kind of challenges the younger guys, letting them know that there's a level that we can reach, and it's doable because I saw these guys do it this year.”</p><p>Wear, who is still juggling college offers, expects big things from the underclassmen next season.</p><p>“I know my brother (Jesse) still has another year, and I've got another brother who is coming up next year,” he said. “Hopefully they can achieve what we didn't achieve, which is win a state title. </p><p>“This season definitely kicked down the door. Now everyone is going to think: yeah, Forest can definitely do it. We went to the final four this year, so they can probably go further next year.”</p><p><blockquote style="border: 2px solid #666; padding: 10px; background-color: #ccc;"><b>FIRST TEAM</p><p>Jackie Kay, Sr., Forest:</b> Field general for Wildcats scored 16 goals with 2 assists</p><p><b>Kevin Viera, Sr., Trinity:</b> Finisher ranked second in county with 18 goals, 6 assists</p><p><b>Jesse Wear, Jr., Forest:</b> Midfielder was third on team in points (23); saved best for playoffs</p><p><b>Davis Hall, Sr., Vanguard:</b> Led Knights in goals (12) and assists (10) on way to regional berth</p><p><b>Jack Khan, Sr., Forest:</b> Reliable defender was instrumental in school-record 21 shutouts</p><p><b>Williams Brown, Jr., Vanguard:</b> Top defender for the Knights chipped in 2 goals, 3 assists </p><p><b>Jesse Nieman, Sr., Forest:</b> Linking midfielder was clutch in playoffs; 4 goals, 2 assists</p><p><b>Javier Scholtz, Sr., Belleview:</b> Led Rattlers with 27 points on 12 goals and 3 assists</p><p><b>Jeremy Diaz, Sr., Forest:</b> Active defender was a force at both ends with 4 goals, 4 assists</p><p><b>Austin Putzeys, Jr., Forest:</b> Defender quickly converted steals into points with 4 goals, 5 assists</p><p><b>Kamil Pietrzak, Sr., Trinity:</b> Versatile player scored 4 goals, dished out 3 assists</p><p><b>Lex Craggs, Sr., Forest:</b> Athletic keeper went 16-1-1 with 16 shutouts and 107 saves </p><p><b>SECOND TEAM</p><p>Quinn Ciambella, Jr., Vanguard:</b> Midfielder netted 7 goals, added 3 assists for Knights</p><p><b>Mathew Lopez, Jr., Forest:</b> Active defender was key ingredient to Wildcats' success </p><p><b>Angel King, So., Lake Weir:</b> Led the Hurricanes in goals with 15; added 4 assists</p><p><b>Sebastian Del Rio, Fr., Forest:</b> Started 20 games for 'Cats at center defender; added 2 goals</p><p><b>Eder Mazariegos, Jr., Vanguard:</b> 3-year varsity starter was key defender for regional qualifier</p><p><b>Baldwin Switzer, So., Forest:</b> Another option in 'Cats' attack with 4 goals, 7 assists</p><p><b>Kyle Miller, Sr., Belleview:</b> Team captain anchored stout defense for the Rattlers</p><p><b>Preston Tarantino, Jr., Forest:</b> Versatile player managed 3 goals, 1 assist for 4A semifinalists</p><p><b>Andrew Gomez, Sr., West Port:</b> Rugged defender set the tone for Wolf Pack defense </p><p><b>Richard Gonzalez, So., Vanguard:</b> Active midfielder was a force all over the field for Knights</p><p><b>Oscar Padilla, Sr., West Port:</b> Teamed with Gomez on Wolf Pack defensive back line</p><p><b>Thomas Truchement, Jr., Vanguard:</b> Keeper was instrumental in Knights' regional berth</p><p><b>HONORABLE MENTION </p><p>Belleview —</b> Talon Turner, Jolier Saldarriaga, Redondo Beauplan, Beau Chapman, Nick Couch; <b>Forest —</b> Tristan Tarantino, Armando Llanes, Morgan Werner, Nazar Deputat, Reinhardt Switzer, Robert Egan; <b>Lake Weir —</b> Austin Davis; <b>North Marion —</b> Jose Trujillo, Daniel Leguizamo, Abraham Hernandez; <b>St. John —</b> Jon Chaffin, Nathaniel Bandy; <b>Trinity Catholic —</b> Brian Caplan, Victor Santiago, Luiz Ortiz; <b>Vanguard —</b> Justin Taylor, Tanner Bohannan, Thomas Essick, Thomas Jackson; <b>West Port —</b> Jordan Diaz, Julian Vasquez, Fernando Chavez, James Dennis, Kyler Tiebout.</blockquote></p>